Holder for electrical lamps with a glass base cap

ABSTRACT

A holder for electrical lamps with a first glass base cap, in particular for small lamps, which comprises a cup-like body of insulating material, and two contact strips inserted in the cuplike body. The two contact strips include a section projecting from the holder body and serving the electrical connection. Two resilient legs extend in about the longitudinal axis of the holder. The resilient legs are angularly bent substantially 90* relative to the first section within the range of the glass base cap to be held between the resilient legs. The first section of each of the contract strips has a longitudinal slot extending therethrough up to the connecting stay, and the entire contact strip is of increased material strength, the first sections projecting from the holder body constitute a plug for a socket sleeve.

United States Patent Lichte [151 3,681,741 1 51 Aug. 1,1972

[54] HOLDER FOR ELECTRICAL LAMPS WITH A GLASS BASE CAP [72] Inventor: Norbert Lichte, Ravensburg, Germany [73] Assignee: Firma Rafi Raimund Finsterholgl, Elektrotechnische Spezialfabrik, Ravensburg, Germany [22] Filed: Nov. 9, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 87,833

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 14, 1970 Germany ..P 20 23 605.9

[52] US. Cl ..339/170, 339/176 L, 339/220 L, 339/258 R [51] Int. Cl ..1-101r 19/28, I-IOlr 13/12 [58] Field of Search.....339/l7 D, 170, 176 L, 220 R, 339/220 L, 220 T, 176 MP, 193 VS, 192 R, 194, 217 S, 256-259, 262

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,178,672 4/1965 Batcheller ..339/220 R 2,039,957 5/1936 Hall ..339/220 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 830,649 12/1969 Canada ..339/176 L 1,276,672 10/1961 France ..339/258 R 1,515,112 1/1968 France ..339/258 R 658,872 10/1951 Great Britain ..339/258 R 1,464,176 2/1969 Germany ..339/176 L Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion Assistant ExaminerLawrence J. Staab Attorney-Ernest G. Montague [57] ABSTRACT A holder for electrical lamps with a first glass base cap, in particular for small lamps, which comprises a cup-like body of insulating material, and two contact strips inserted in the cup-like body. The two contact strips include a section projecting from the holder body and serving the electrical connection. Two resilient legs extend in about the longitudinal axis of the holder. The resilient legs are angularly bent substantially 90 relative to the first section within the range of the glass base cap to be held between the resilient legs. The first section of each of the contract strips has a longitudinal slot extending therethrough up to the connecting stay, and the entire contact strip is of increased material strength, the first sections projecting from the holder body constitute a plug for a socket sleeve.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAuc 1 1912 fig.

The present invention relates to an embodiment of a holder for electrical lamps with a glass base cap, in particular for small lamps, including a cup-like body consisting of insulating material and two contact strips inserted therein, which have a section projecting from the holder body and serving the electrical connection and two resilient legs extending in about the longitudinal axis of the lamp holder, within the range of the glass base cap.

In a known embodiment, the contact strips are made with a relative thin gauge of material, whereby above all a good resilience is to be obtained. In order to be able to use thereby the connection lugs projecting from the housing or the holder body, respectively, as plugs also, the latter must be reinforced. For this purpose, in the known embodiment, the connection lugs are folded over, so that the contact strips are arranged in a double arrangement. Thereby the free inner ends are angularly bent, whereby tongues are created which support themselves against the bottom of the housing and thereby secure the contact strips against a displacement.

As the practice has shown, this embodiment still needs improvement, since the folding of the cold beaten, thin material of the connection lugs or plugs, respectively, is combined with comparatively high costs by reason of the required expensive tools and the use of high quality material. Moreover, the danger of fractures of material at the folds exists.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a holder for electrical lamps with a glass base cap which avoids the mentioned disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a holder for electrical lamps with a glass base cap, wherein the part which is not of U-shape is longitudinally slotted up to a joining bridge, whereby the gauge of material of the entire contact strip is equal to the thickness of the sections projecting from the holder body and serving as plugs for a plug socket.

Thereby the previous disadvantageous folding of the plugs is eliminated. Furthermore, instead of special brass or spring bronze, for example, common brass can be used. By the longitudinally slotting of the contact strip it is further obtained that in spite of an increased gauge material throughout, the necessary resiliency is assured, whereby the length of the plug contributes to the resiliency of the holdingor contact-leg, so that the resiliency is improved compared with previous arrangements.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a holder for electrical lamps with a glass base cap, wherein for securing the contact strips to the holder body, the edges of the plug are provided each with two tabs arranged closely below the bottom of the housing, which tabs can be formed to abutments by bending the same.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the present invention is disclosed by way of example only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross section of the holder body with insetted contact strips, in accordance with the present invention, taken along the lines A-A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the holder body shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the contact strip; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the holder body with contact strips.

Referring now to the drawings, the holder body 1 has two diametrically oppositely disposed openings 2, into which contact strips 3 and 4 are inserted from above.

The contact strips 3 and 4, having throughout equal strength of material, are bent over for a right angle at their longitudinal sides over the smaller part of their length, so that, respectively, two legs 5 and 6 are created, which legs 5 and 6 are so far bent towards each other, that a sqeezed glass base cap 7 of a lamp 8 is held by the legs 5 and 6 with a resilient clamping action by pressure locking.

In order to obtain the necessary spring path of both legs 5 and 6, the contact strips 3 and 4 are each provided with a longitudinal slot 10 extending over the entire length up to a remaining connection stay 11.

For securing the lamp 8, its sqeezed base cap 7 is provided with a catch depression in known manner on each side, in which earns 12 formed on each leg 6 engage resiliently upon insertion of the lamp 8. At the same time the leg 5, acting as contact spring, is pressed against the current feeding wire fed out of and freely disposed on the outside of the lamp base cap. Thereby a shockproof hold and contact action is obtained, whereby legs 5 assure the necessary connections of current and legs 6 assure the securing of the lamp, respectively.

The plugs 13, projecting out of the housing of the holder body 1, are equipped each with two tabs 15 arranged close below the bottom of the housing, which tabs 15 can be bent to the shape shown in FIG. 4, after inserting them, so that they act as abutments, which secure the contact strips against displacement in the one direction.

The fixing of the contact strips in the other direction ensues by the lower edges of the legs 5 or 6, which abut on a transverse stay at the housing of the holder body 1.

The recess 17 in the plugs 13 serves as opening for the connection of the plugs with a socket sleeve (not shown).

As usual, the plugs 13 can be used also for soldering connections.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: 6

1. A holder for electrical lamps with a glass base cap, in particular for small lamps, comprising a cup-like holder body of insulating material, and

two contact strips inserted in said cup-like holder body,

each of said two contact strips including a first section projecting from said holder body and serving the electrical connection and two cooperating resilient legs extending in about the longitudinal axis of said holder for holding a glass base cap of a lamp therebetween,

said two resilient legs of each of said contact strips being angularly bent substantially 90 relative to said first section within the range of said glass base cap of a lamp to be held between said resilient legs said first section of each of said contact strips having a connecting stay at an end thereof remote from said two resilient legs, and a longitudinal slot extending through each of said first sections from a point spaced from said end through the other end of each of said first sections, and

each contact strip being made entirely of strengthened material and said projecting portions of said first sections and said connecting stays constituting a plug.

2. The holder, as set forth in claim 1, which includes two tabs arranged at the edges of said first sections projecting from said holder body, closely to the bottom thereof, and

said tabs are bent out of the surface of said first sections and constitute abutments for securing of said contact strips.

3. The holder for electrical lamps, as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said two legs of each of said contact strips is formed with a projecting cam means for releasable securing of said glass base cap of a lamp.

4. The holder for electrical lamps, as set forth in 5 claim 2, wherein claim 1, wherein said two legs of each of said contact strips form baseto-base, sidewise symmetrical and approximate U- shapes.

6. The holder for electrical lamps, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said two legs of both of said contact strips are disposed laterally closer to the center of said cuplike holder body than said first sections.

7. The holder for electrical lamps, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said longitudinal slot forms each of said contact strips as well as said first sections into a substantially U-shaped member. 

1. A holder for electrical lamps with a glass base cap, in particular for small lamps, comprising a cup-like holder body of insulating material, and two contact strips inserted in said cup-like holder body, each of said two contact strips including a first section projecting from said holder body and serving the electrical connection and two cooperating resilient legs extending in about the longitudinal axis of said holder for holding a glass base cap of a lamp therebetween, said two resilient legs of each of said contact strips being angularly bent substantially 90* relative to said first section within the range of said glass base cap of a lamp to be held between said resilient legs , said first section of each of said contact strips having a connecting stay at an end thereof remote from said two resilient legs, and a longitudinal slot extending through each of said first sections from a point spaced from said end through the other end of each of said first sections, and each contact strip being made entirely of strengthened material and said projecting portions of said first sections and said connecting stays constituting a plug.
 2. The holder, as set forth in claim 1, which includes two tabs arranged at the edges of said first sections projecting from said holder body, closely to the bottom thereof, and said tabs are bent out of the surface of said first sections and constitute abutments for securing of said contact strips.
 3. The holder for electrical lamps, as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said two legs of each of said contact strips is formed with a projecting cam means for releasable securing of said glass base cap of a lamp.
 4. The holder for electrical lamps, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cam means of both of said contact strips are formed on different ones of said two legs of said contact strips.
 5. The holder for electrical lamps, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said two legs of each of said contact strips form base-to-base, sidewise symmetrical and approximate U-shapes.
 6. The holder for electrical lamps, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said two legs of both of said contact strips are disposed laterally closer to the center of said cup-like holder body than said first sections.
 7. The holder for electrical lamps, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said longitudinal slot forms each of said contact strips as well as said first sections into a substantially U-shaped member. 